Many modern television receivers include a so-called sleep timer function for automatically turning the receiver off after a predetermined time interval set by a user. The sleep timer function allows a user to conserve power by shutting off the television receiver automatically if the user has fallen asleep. Such a sleep function is known from, for example, RCA CTC-140 type television receivers manufactured by Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated, Indianapolis, Ind.
Unfortunately, even though a user has set a predetermined time for the television to automatically turn off the user may not fall asleep, but rather may remain awake. If the user does not notice the usually small sleep timer warning message displayed on-screen, the user may forget that the sleep timer is enabled, and then find to his surprise that the television automatically turns itself off.